Bug FAQBrown-lined Owlet
Macrochilo litophora · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Brown-lined Owlet Moth
The brown-lined owlet, also called the angulate fan-foot, is a small moth with a wingspan of about 20 mm. It lives in leaf litter across many eastern and central U.S. states, from Wisconsin to Texas. Its larvae feed on dead grasses, clover and other organic debris, and it produces one generation per year in the north and two in the southern part of its range.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Macrochilo litophora is the scientific name for the brown-lined owlet, also known as the angulate fan-foot.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan is roughly 20 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is a litter-dwelling moth in the family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars eat dead grasses, clover and probably other decaying organic matter.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
In the northern part of its range there is one generation each year. In southern Ohio and Missouri it can produce two generations per year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 35 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, North Carolina, Massachusetts, New York.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What does the brown-lined owlet eat?
Its larvae feed on dead grasses, clover and likely other decaying plant material.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the brown-lined owlet found?
It is found in many U.S. states from Wisconsin east to Massachusetts and south to the Carolinas, Mississippi and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations does it have each year?
One generation per year in the north, and two generations in southern Ohio and Missouri.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrochilo_litophora
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.